Category: Pittsburgh City Paper

Pittsburgh City Paper

The August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble delves into tragedy with ‘Paving the Road of Survival’

By Steve Sucato The final program in the August Wilson Center’s series “Great Collaborations: The Alliance Between Blacks and Jews in the Twentieth Century” is the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble‘s Paving the Road of Survival. It features two moving works inspired by dark chapters in the human experience. The first, Christopher Huggins’ gripping, Holocaust-themed “The List,” was premiered by Dance Alloy Theater in 2010. The 20-minute work … Continue reading The August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble delves into tragedy with ‘Paving the Road of Survival’

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Pittsburgh City Paper

‘Trocks’ of Fun

By Steve Sucato What happens when you cross RuPaul with Carol Burnett and classical ballet? You get the world’s most beloved ballet-parody drag company, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Founded in 1974, the New York-based Russian-style troupe with the French name brings its award-winning humor to the Byham Theater for a Pittsburgh Dance Council show Friday, April 5. The Trocks have delighted audiences globally with their faithful renditions of … Continue reading ‘Trocks’ of Fun

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Pittsburgh City Paper

World Premiere of ‘Mash Up Body’ takes a sampling approach to dance

By Steve Sucato For her latest dance work, Mash Up Body, Philadelphia-based choreographer Kate Watson-Wallace took a page from the contemporary-music playbook. Watson-Wallace worked with the processes of sampling, remixing and layering ideas and materials to create a 45-minute multimedia performance installation. Her troupe, anonymous bodies, will premiere the show April 5 and 6 at the Alloy Studios. “It’s a meditation on identity and presentation,” says … Continue reading World Premiere of ‘Mash Up Body’ takes a sampling approach to dance

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Socks, Boots & Cheese

By Steve Sucato The American Dairy Association may have been onto something in its ads touting “the power of cheese.” Anecdotal reports of increased creativity by Texture Contemporary Ballet’s dancers and choreographers from eating cheese led to the tongue-in-cheek title of their latest program, There’s Something About Fontina. The troupe presents the mixed-repertory program featuring six premiere works April 3-5 at the New Hazlett Theater. Among … Continue reading Socks, Boots & Cheese

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Dancing Pixels: Gia T. Presents explore The Frequency of Structure and Flow

By Steve Sucato Gia Cacalano and troupe return to Wood Street Galleries with the latest Gia T. Presents production, The Frequency of Structure and Flow. The 75-minute work, like 2012’s sold-out Blink, is a collaboration between Cacalano’s international troupe of dancers and musicians and an exhibit at the gallery. The Frequency of Structure and Flow responds to Paris-based technological artist Miguel Chevalier’s digital-media work “The Origin of the World,” part of his exhibition Power Pixels 2013. CP critic Robert Raczka described “The … Continue reading Dancing Pixels: Gia T. Presents explore The Frequency of Structure and Flow

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Dance Reviews 2013, Pittsburgh City Paper

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s ‘Unspoken’ a gem of a program

Reviewed by Steve Sucato March 13, 2013 A year after he co-founded New York’s School of American Ballet in 1934, George Balanchine created “Serenade” (1935), a ballet that began as a lesson for his advanced students at the school on how to perform on a stage. Since then the iconic ballet has become a mainstay in the repertories of professional and pre-professional ballet companies across … Continue reading Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s ‘Unspoken’ a gem of a program

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Culture Clash

By Steve Sucato Was modern-dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis a racist? St. Denis (1880–1968) introduced Eastern culture into Western dance. For her famous “Oriental” dances of the early 1900s, she donned makeup to change the color of her skin a la Al Jolson, and costumed herself based on museum photographs. In his latest dance work, Ruth Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Santa Monica-based dancer/choreographer Lionel Popkin uses St. Denis’ … Continue reading Culture Clash

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Amazing Grace

By Steve Sucato In the tough neighborhood where Black Grace artistic director/choreographer Neil Ieremia grew up, dancing didn’t figure into everyday life. The son of Samoan parents living in New Zealand, Ieremia says he was exposed to traditional Polynesian singing and dancing at social functions (weddings, funerals) and through school and church youth groups. But it wasn’t until he began seeing music videos from America … Continue reading Amazing Grace

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Pittsburgh City Paper

A new dance work explores “post-blackness” and other aspects of identity

By Steve Sucato What does it mean to be black? For local choreographer Staycee Pearl, that question hit home when her dance works were questioned by others in the African-American community for not being “black enough.” In her latest work, “…on being …” to be premiered by her Staycee Pearl Dance Project at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater Feb. 22-23, Pearl looks at what it means to be … Continue reading A new dance work explores “post-blackness” and other aspects of identity

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Pittsburgh City Paper

Ballet Inspired by Grief Center Premieres

By Steve Sucato Bodiography Contemporary Ballet artistic director Maria Caruso’s dance works have always come from a caring place. But the latest in her string of health-care-related dance works, Whispers of Light, literally comes from the Caring Place. The poignant work is set to an original score by Carnegie Mellon University professor of composition Nancy Galbraith that’s performed live by a 13-piece orchestra. It was inspired by … Continue reading Ballet Inspired by Grief Center Premieres

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